What to Wear for the 5k

With the whacky weather we’ve been having, it can be difficult to decide how to dress for a run. When it’s chilly, I like to dress warmer…but once I’ve been out for a few minutes, I’d prefer to shed that extra layer. Should I wear a long-sleeved shirt, or a jacket? Shorts, capris, or pants? And then there’s the sun consideration. Should I wear sunglasses, a hat, or both? Well, for starters, it always helps to check the weather. As of right now weather.com says that Saturday is supposed to be partly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain, a light breeze, and a high of 62 and low of 46. Okay, so how does that help you? Luckily, I found this awesome website provided by Runner’s World that provides tips on how to dress for running in different weather conditions!

Simply go to http://www.whattoweartool.com. It has you fill in your gender, the weather conditions, the type of workout you’ll be doing, and how you like to feel when you’re running. The website does the rest for you. For example, I filled in my information, assuming that it’ll be 55 degrees on Saturday, light wind, and partly cloudy. I also included that I’d be doing a race. The site suggested sunglasses, a singlet, and shorts–maybe a little less than I would’ve selected…let’s try again. This time I changed “race” to say “easy run,” and it revised my wardrobe to include a short-sleeved shirt.

Here are a few things to keep in mind for Saturday:

Don’t forget to wear sunscreen, preferably something that is sweatproof.

If you have it, consider wearing moisture-wicking attire to help prevent blisters and chaffing.

I’d also suggest wearing something a little lighter than you might comfortably prefer, as you’ll warm up quickly once you start running.

Consider bringing a jacket to wear to and from the race, in case it is a chilly morning.

I hope this helps! Can you believe the race is only 3 days away? I can’t wait to see all of you on Saturday morning!